KARACHI: When poet Fahmida Riaz’s (1946-2018) first collection of poems titled Pathar Ki Zaban hit the bookstands in the late 1960s, both the literati and the avid reader of Urdu poetry took note of it. It had a distinct flair. In those days, female voices in the Urdu poetic tradition were few and far between. But it was her second collection Badan Dareeda (1973) that made tongues wag because of the contents of the poems.

She had come up with some startling pieces expressing the innermost feelings of a woman. It heralded, in a way, a new wave of feminism in society, too. The writer — she also wrote books in prose, including novels — has spawned a fair amount of admirers. That list includes visual artists. A group show that opened at the Art Chowk Gallery on Tuesday pays tribute to the poet by virtue of some noteworthy works of art made by nearly two dozen eminent artists.

The curatorial note informs the viewer on the purpose of the display in the following words: “The exhibition investigates the expression of Fahmida Raiz and takes it further to an audience that usually is not familiar with the writer’s work and her journey. The exhibition provokes the expressionists and the audience to engage in the great poet’s work and life, praise her, and take inspiration from the boldness of a brave poet who stood against all odds but continued her struggle for the just and the truth to be heard, felt, and acknowledged.”

The statement highlights the strong character that Riaz had. At the same time, the works on view nicely underscore the contextual crux of the poet’s creative journey. After all, for a creative person, their productivity as an artist, to a reasonable extent, depends on the travails that they have had to endure in their growth as a living being in a particular social set-up. As a result, the participating artists have come up with an impressive range of ideas in terms of content, spanning from physical needs to societal wants, done in a variety of media.

The artists taking part in the show are: Meher Afroz, Sana Anwer, Hanan Munir, Sadia Zia, Inshal Tahir, Kainat Waseem, Umaina Khan, Alina Ali, Zantiana Iqbal, Syeda Sanober, Romessa Khan, Nayab Noor, Sana Nezam, Hina Tabassum, Yusra Taqi, Amna Qamar, Habiba Safdar and Isra Noman.

The exhibition, curated by Jamal Ashiqain, concludes on Aug 15.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2024